MARSHALL — Registered voters in southwest Minnesota will get opportunities to ask candidates questions during three live forums starting next week.

“It’s pretty important to hold these kinds of debates,” Marshall Chamber of Commerce President Brad Gruhot. The chamber is helping to host Monday’s forum and also hosting a Thursday forum. “(It) gives everybody an opportunity to find out what the candidates have to offer. I encourage anyone to attend. It’s opportunity to ask the questions that are important to them.”

On Monday, the Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce and Southwest Minnesota State University Political Science Association will be the host of a House candidates forum at 6:30 p.m. at the upper ballroom of the SMSU Conference Center. At 6:30 p.m. will be the meet the candidates reception with refreshments hosted by SMSU Faculty Association. From 7-8 p.m. will be a House candidates panel (HD 16A and HD 22A).

It is expected that the program will be broadcast by KMHL AM 1400 and KSSU-TV. KSSU broadcasts at SMSU campus and in Marshall via two community access channels.

Then on Thursday, another forum will be held at the Lyon County-Marshall Library. The Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce will be the host of a Lyon County Commissioner debate from 6:30-7 p.m., Marshall City Council debate from 7-7:45 p.m. and Marshall School Board from 7:45-8:30 p.m. Thursday. The Lyon County Sheriff candidate will also introduced himself from 6:15-6:30 p.m.

The following candidates have been invited to appear: County Sheriff, Eric Wallen. County Commissioners: District 2: Steve Ritter and Al Kruse. District 3: Paul Graupmann. City Council: Ward 1: John DeCramer and Don Edblom; Ward 2: David Sturrock and Russ Labat; Ward 3: Craig Schafer. School Board: Jeff Chapman, Aaron Ziemer, Sara Runchey and Ben Walker.

The candidates will respond to questions from a panel of local journalists. Audience members will be encouraged to submit written questions for the candidates, as well.

The event will be broadcast on KMHL AM 1400 and SMSU Media & Studio 1 TV.

The forum is open to all Chamber members and area residents.

Finally, a candidate forum will be held Oct. 31 in Westbrook to focus on education.

Southwest West Central Service Cooperative will hosting the forum from 1-3 p.m. Oct. 31, at the Westbrook Community Center, 556 First Ave. for the candidates in Districts 16A, 16B, 22A and 22B. The forum will be focused primarily on education issues as the audience will be school administrators in the region.

Invited candidates: Chris Swedzinski, Tom Wyatt-Yerka, Paul Torkelson, Mindy Kimmel, Joe Schomacker, Maxwell Kaufman, Rod Hamilton and Cheniqua Johnson.

Attending: Maxwell Kaufman, Cheniqua Johnson, Mindy Kimmel, Tom Wyatt-Yerka, Joe Schomacker.

Unconfirmed: Chris Swedzinski, Paul Torkelson and Rod Hamilton.

These legislative districts cover all or a portion of the following school districts: Adrian, Canby, Cedar Mountain, Comfrey, Dawson-Boyd, Edgerton, Ellsworth, Fulda, GFW, Hendricks, Heron Lake-Okabena, Hills-Beaver Creek, Ivanhoe, JCC, Lake Benton, Lakeview, LqPV, Luverne, Lynd, Marshall, Milroy, Minneota, Montevideo, Mountain Lake, MCC, Ortonville, Pipestone Area, RCW, Red Rock Central, Redwood Area, Round Lake-Brewster, RTR, Sleepy Eye, Springfield, St James, Tracy Area, Wabasso, WWG, Windom, Worthington and YME.